EPILOGUE
Nick paced the surgical waiting area for what seemed like the hundredth time. A dozen cups of coffee churned in the pit of his stomach, and every nerve in his body snapped like live wires. If one more nurse came through those double doors without any news, he thought he might explode. Stephanie had been in the operating room for nearly two hours, and he’d worried every second with agonizing intensity.
“Chief.”
He jumped at the sound of Mrs. Thornsberry’s voice. “What is it, Em?” he asked irritably.
“I’m going down to the cafeteria for coffee. Do you want me to bring you back a cup?” she asked.
“Only if it’s got a doctor attached to it,” he snapped. “What on earth is taking so long?”
“It’s only been two hours—”
“Is he causing you problems, Em?”
Even through the stress and tension of Stephanie’s surgery, Nick’s heart soared at the sound of Erin’s voice. He turned, and as usual, felt all his blood spiral into a slow, rolling free fall. “McNeal.”
The two women exchanged knowing smiles, then Mrs. Thornsberry started for the elevator down the hall.
Erin walked into the waiting area and faced Nick. “The name is Ryan now, Chief. You’re going to have to stop calling me by my maiden name.”
He looked into the green depths of her gaze and felt the knot in his gut begin to unravel. That was all it took for him these days. A touch. A word. A smile. And the instant he held her in his arms, he knew everything was right with the world.
“She’s going to be fine,” Erin told him.
“Dr. Brooks should have finished by now.”
“Dr. Brooks is the best neurosurgeon in the state.”
Even in uniform, she took his breath away. They’d been married for less than a month, and he still couldn’t get enough of her. Judging by the amount of love jammed into his heart, Nick figured he never would.
The need to feel her in his arms had him reaching for her. “Come here. I need to hold you.”
Smiling tentatively, Erin stepped into his embrace. Nick closed his eyes and held her, felt another knot of tension unravel. “You’re just what the doctor ordered,” he murmured.
“I’m glad I could oblige,” she said. “Maybe we could work in a little physical therapy later….”
“Ah, McNeal, you always know just where to hit a guy.”
Cocooned within his embrace, she sighed. Nick knew the signs, and asked, “What is it?”
“Not now. Not when Stephanie—”
“Erin.” Easing her to arm’s length, Nick put his palm beneath her chin and forced her gaze to his. “Talk to me.”
“For some reason Steph’s operation made me think about Danny. I still can’t believe he was dirty. That he lied to me. Betrayed me…for money. It still hurts.”
“I know, honey. I’m sorry.”
“But even after what he did to me—all the anguish he put me through—I can’t bear the thought of him going to prison.”
“Frank said his lawyer is already working on a deal with the D.A. He probably won’t do prison time. Probation, maybe. Or community service.” Nick wasn’t sure yet how he felt about that, since Danny Perrine had nearly gotten her killed, but he knew it would make Erin happy, so he’d come to terms with it.
The sound of the double doors opening spun them around. Nick’s heart stopped at the sight of Stephanie’s doctor, still clad in his green surgical scrubs.
Erin stepped forward. “How did it go?”
“The operation was successful,” Dr. Brooks said. “We did a preliminary reflex test a few minutes ago, and she moved her right foot. That’s a good sign this early in the game. We’ll know more after she comes around—”
Nick didn’t hear the rest of the sentence. Emotion spiraled through him with such force that he couldn’t speak. He stared at the doctor, grappling for control, vaguely aware of Erin reaching for his hand.
“When can we see her?” he asked after a moment.
“In about ten minutes. We’re taking her down to recovery now. She’ll probably sleep most of the day.”
Feeling the heat of tears behind his eyes, Nick turned away and walked to the window. His heart was doing acrobatics in his chest—flips and spins and dives, all without the benefit of a safety net. If he didn’t know better, he thought he might just break down and cry.
A moment later, he felt Erin’s hand on his shoulder. “Nick?”
He turned, found her green eyes bright with tears. “She’s going to be okay. She’s going to walk again. She’s going to run again.” A laugh broke from her lips. “If I have anything to do with it, she’s going to ride Bandito again.”
Only then did Nick realize he was crying, but he didn’t care. Male pride and ego melted away as he looked at his bride and saw the same emotions mirrored in her eyes. Raising his hand, he brushed a tear from her cheek with the pad of his thumb. He smiled at her through his own tears as relief and need and a hundred other emotions barreled through him.
“We’re lucky,” he said after a moment.
“And then some,” she agreed.
Cupping her face, he gazed into her eyes. He felt the undeniable connection between them in the deepest reaches of his heart. She was the only woman in the world who could do that to him. Leaning forward, he kissed her gently. “You look really good in that uniform, Mrs. Ryan,” he said.
“You don’t look too bad yourself, Chief.”
“Do you think it’s inappropriate for the chief of police to kiss his deputy?”
“Definitely. But you do inappropriate so well.”
“You always say just the right thing. I love you, Erin.”
“Mrs. Ryan,” she corrected, and shot him a smile from beneath her lashes. “While we’re waiting for Steph to be taken to her room, I was wondering if you wouldn’t mind explaining the police department’s policy on maternity leave to me.”
The floor dropped out from under him as the words cascaded over him. “You’re…” Emotion shook him with such force that he couldn’t finish the sentence.
She grinned.
His heart thumped hard against his ribs. “You’re pregnant?”
“I’m not sure. You know how unreliable those tests are.”
“Tests?”
“The home pregnancy test I took this morning.”
Nick held his breath. “What did it say?”
Standing on her tiptoes, Erin brushed her lips against his. “It told me I’m the happiest pregnant woman in the entire state of Indiana,” she whispered.
Joy like he’d never known settled over him like a bright and stunning light. Laughing, he threw his arms around her and swung her in a tight circle, not caring about the tears building in his eyes again. “Just the state?” he managed to ask after a moment.
She smiled at him. “Make that the world.”
“I guess that makes me the happiest man in the world.”
“I love you—”
Her sentence was cut short when his mouth covered hers, sealing the words he cherished between them, and Nick knew he was not only the happiest man in the world, but the luckiest.
* * * * *